User blog:El Alamein/World War Wikia: Year One, the Italian Offensive
Oscar Jethroe stood rigidly at attention, consciously aware of the beads of sweat dripping out from underneath his helmet and down his face in the sweltering sun. But his eyes snapped fast at the riveting words that held him rooted to his spot. "Today is a glorious day, my children! The day we deliver the lands of our great empire from the heathens who occupy them!" It was a surprise to all the men of Jethroe's unit to see Father Cava in person - his visit was unexpected as his plane touched down at the airbase - but his frantic, passionate energy surged through the ranks, gripping each man on a personal level. Jethroe could have sworn he felt the power of God channeling through Cava as the black-robed priest waved his fists and paced back and forth frantically, flanked by two expressionless and perfectly-uniformed guards clutching rifles. "We are one force brought together under the holy banner of Heaven!" ''Cava shrieked. The army watching and listening trembled with righteous rage. ''"Today we ignite the spark that launches our campaign of divine conquest! Today we cleanse the Earth of its nonbelievers! Their blood is our water! We will wade through their cleansing purity!" The army roared in approval. "We start with a single action! One more man saved!"'' '''Cava pulled a pistol tucked smartly in his robes and approached a bloodied prisoner kneeling at his feet, gagged and bound but with terror bulging through his eyes. ''"One more heathen shown the way of God!" Jethroe watched, enthralled, as Cava pulled the trigger. The prisoner's head jerked to the side, his eyes still wide but the fear now little more than an empty glass shell, a faint mist curling up into the air and dissipating with the hot winds of the desert. "For Italy!" Battle for Tripoli ' ' Brittany Jenkins awoke with a start as the sound of whining engines and whistling artillery shells shattered the quiet of the night. Rolling instinctively off her cot and under her bunk, she snatched her rifle leaning barrel-up against the post of her tent and crouched up, diving out of the tent moments before a shell landed and vaporized the canvas in a shower of steel and flame. Her garrison was under full assault by Italian interceptors and artillery forces - but there were no ground forces in sight. Breathing a sigh of relief - or at least as much relief as can be taken during a bombardment - Jenkins realized this was a preliminary assault. Turning towards the hangar, she spotted British fighters hurriedly sputtering along the runway and gliding off into the air, guns blazing before the last wheels left the ground. The British forces were starting to compose themselves after the shock of the initial attack. Jenkins darted off with a squadron moving off toward the hilltops to the east, ready to spot the advancing Italian forces and relay as much information as possible back to command before the real battle started. Attackers: Oscar Jethroe and Luigi Guido Menechino Oscar Jethroe (Sport Shouting) (1/2 strength unit) After years of racism, abuse and prejudice, Oscar Jethroe moved with his wife and daughter to Italy. When war broke out, rage against his country broke out and he decided to ally with Bentio Mussolini's forces and attack the Americans and their allies. 1. Rifle: Mannlicher M1895 2. Machine Gun: Breda 30 3. Explosive: Pineapple Grenade 4. Sidearms: British Bulldog Revolver and Stiletto (both given to him by his father) 5. Support: Sawed-off Shotgun 6. Light Vehicle: Military Jeep with heavy machine guns Luigi Guido Menechino (Sport Shouting) A chef who enlisted just after World War 1, Menechino began to impress his superiors. As the years went by, he grew more powerful. By the 1930's, he was one of the most respected soldiers in the Italian Army and when the Second World War came, he became a high ranking member of the Italian Armed Forces and was even known well by the Nazis. 1. Rifle: Carcano Rifle 2. Machine Gun: Vickers Machine Gun (acquired from his allies) 3. Explosive: Brixia Model 35 Infantry Mortar 4. Sidearm: Glisenti Model 1910/Chef Knife (used to remember who he used to be) 5. Support: Beretta Model 38 Submachine Gun 6. Light Vehicle: AB 41 Armored Car Cfp's Orders The coastal troops (Jethroe's unit) are to be split in half. Move 50 km outside of Tripoli, do not engage for one day. Utilize half of aerial support during that time, save the other half for that battle. Mainland troops split in half. One half will secure Tripoli. The other half, alongisde aerial support, will engage Jenkins' forces. Once Tripoli is secured, send remaining mainland troops to join the skirmishers. Menechino may retreat if things go south. Jethroe is to regroup but not retreat, awaiting further orders, if things go south. Defender: Brittany Jenkins Brittany Jenkins (BattleGames1) Most of the men whom Brittany has encountered would say she was "chiselled to perfection" and it was not hard to see why. Body-wise, she was a very slim and curvy yet muscular woman like most women who worked hard in the outback would be. She also had a face that men swooned over whenever she walked in - sparkly dark green eyes, luscious brunette locks and complementary freckles. In combat, however, she ties her hair up into a bun and hides it under her helmet - she does so in the belief that in addition to her army uniform, she looks like (and will have made men mistake her for) a scrawny and little man. Bio: Born to an American Spanish-American War veteran and an Australian rural herder in 1917, Brittany grew up in rural Darwin on a farm her mother owned. For most of her late childhood and teenage years she was helping her family manage her small grocery business both in and out of the field. Whenever she got bored, she practiced shooting targets with her father as well as "working out like the men do" (and not in that sense!). When the war began in 1939, she enlisted (with a little bit of persuasion - and again NOT in that sense) in the Australian Army and was part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, helping them fight in the Mediterranean and Pacific Theatres as an excellent marksman and fair fist-fighter for when things got close. *Rifle: Lee-Enfield SMLE Mk. III (may change) *Machine Gun: Bren LMG *Explosive: Mills Bomb M36 *Side-arms: Colt M1911 and Bowie Knife *Support: Winchester 1897 *Vehicle: Daimler Dingo Leo's Orders Fighting retreat. X-Factors |-| Initiative= Edge: Italy. As the attackers they have the initiative advantage, giving them 'the drop' on their foes. |-| Fervor= Edge: Italy. Cava has rallied his men to become religious fanatics - they will die for their country and their god without hesitation. There aren't really any other X-Factors yet because the campaign has just started so things like disease and fatigue don't really apply yet. Battle Who will win? And will the victory result in any of the deaths of the aforementioned soldiers? Will they be able / willing to carry out their generals' orders? To be written Category:Blog posts